This is not a post for the loaded teams who are favourites to win their league. This is a post for those who are still building towards a championship roster or for those who are tearing their team down and rebuilding. Very often, I see people try to rebuild their teams and fail in doing so. Knowing the dynasty pieces to build around helps to get to a solid foundation to launch from.

Mistakes

Here are some mistakes I see happening:

Acquiring expiring assets

Too often, I see people try to compete too early. They buy short-term pieces to try to win the current season while possibly needing to replace them soon. These short-term pieces can be:

• QBs with no job security (ex. Justin Fields)
  • QBs need to perform well in the NFL or have massive guaranteed contracts to put up any numbers. Age doesn’t matter as much here. You don’t need to be afraid of QBs in their late 20s or early 30s if they have the talent to remain as starters.
• Workhorse RBs over 26 (ex. Dalvin Cook)
  • Very rarely do RBs with 5+ years of heavy usage maintain their production for long
• Young RBs with little capital (ex. Tyler Allgeier)
  • Age and wear aren’t the only factors. RBs with little capital don’t have much job security unless they become Austin Ekeler
• WRs in their 30s (ex. Tyler Lockett)
  • The expiry age for WRs isn’t as set, but once they reach their 30s, statistically, they are at risk of regressing soon. And once they start declining, get out fast
• TEs in their 30s (ex. Zach Ertz)
  • Though TEs may last a bit longer into their 30s than WRs, a similar premise applies
• Players in great situations
  • Sometimes, players do well because of the situation they are in and not because of their talent. This is especially true when a starter gets injured and their backup gets most of their volume. Watch out for these as they may go back to irrelevance for the rest of their careers

Recency Bias

The type of players I just mentioned can be ones who helped managers win weeks or even championships this past year. However, there is a very strong possibility that will not be the case a year from now. People need to know the context for why such players were able to perform so well recently and what is likely to happen in the near future. Just because a player overperforms or underperforms this past year does not mean that that will continue into 2023 and beyond.

Foundational Pieces

In my opinion, here are the most important pieces to build around:

Franchise QBs Who Are Good for Fantasy

In Superflex/2QB leagues, QBs are the most difficult players to acquire because, at most, only 32 are starting at a time whereas there are many more options at each of the other FLEX positions. It is very expensive to keep replacing this position so I’d rather spend up to lock in this spot for multiple years and then focus on other positions. QBs can last quite a long time but I’d prefer QBs in their 20s. But don’t assume youth means the QBs will last a long time. QBs who are good but not great can be quickly replaced in the NFL.

Examples: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, Dak Prescot, Trevor Lawrence, and DeShaun Watson

Young Talented WRs

I don’t care about their situation. WRs who are top talents will at worst maintain their value. DJ Moore is the poster child for great talent in horrible situations. His situation has never improved but his value is still somewhat strong. On the other hand, WRs who are good but not great could excel in great situations but may not last when the situation changes. JuJu Smith-Schuster is an example of that.

Examples: Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, AJ Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Jaylen Waddle, Garrett Wilson, DK Metcalf, Chris Olave, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Devonta Smith, Tee Higgins, and Drake London.

Elite TEs

I’m not talking about good or even great TEs. I’m talking about elite ones. Very often, only the top 3-5 TEs are locked-in fantasy starters for multiple years. I’d also prefer to stick to TEs in their 20s though Travis Kelce is showing no signs of slowing down.

Examples: Mark Andrews and Kyle Pitts

Future Draft Picks

When in doubt, aim for future picks. These are safe assets that generally rise in value until they are turned into players.

Wrap-Up

You will notice I did not mention RBs. Though I wouldn’t say you need to avoid RBs, I would say they’re the last piece to build around. They tend to last the shortest, get injured more often, and also get the most value hit when injured. But when you’re ready to compete, the top RBs can definitely offer a large positional advantage. Also, remember, don’t sell low and buy high. You still need to make wise trades when trying to target the dynasty pieces to build around.

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